Contact: Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Alternate: Jim Irizarry, Asst. Chief Elections Officer & Asst. Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder

(Redwood City, CA) Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, announced today that Tuesday, October 27, is the deadline for registered voters to request a replacement Vote by Mail ballot to be delivered by mail for the November 3, 2026, Statewide General Election.

The deadline ensures that there is enough time for postal delivery.  After this date, all requests for a replacement Vote by Mail ballot must be made in person at one of San Mateo County’s Vote Centers. As a Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) County, San Mateo County began mailing Vote by Mail ballots to all registered voters during the first week of October 2026 for the November 3, 2026, Statewide General Election.

To Request a Replacement Vote by Mail Ballot

Registered voters may request a Vote by Mail ballot by using any one of the following request options:

• Submit your request online through the request form at smcvote.gov – click the Request a Replacement Ballot button. 
• An application is available to print from Request a Replacement Ballot link. Fill out and sign the Replacement Vote by Mail application and return it to us via email at registrar@smcacre.gov, fax (650) 312-5348 or mail (40 Tower Road, San Mateo, CA 94402); or 
• Prepare a written request, with your signature, stating your full name, residence address, mailing address (if different from your residence address), date of birth, and the date of the election for which the Vote by Mail ballot is requested (November 3, 2026).  Send the request via email registrar@smcacre.gov, fax (650) 312-5348 or mail (40 Tower Road, San Mateo, CA 94402).

To Request a Vote by Mail Ballot After the Deadline
All requests for Vote by Mail ballots after October 27, 2026 must be made in person at any San Mateo County Vote Center, either by the voter or by an authorized representative with the voter’s signed authorization form.

For Vote Center locations and hours, visit smcvote.gov or call or text (650) 312-5222.

Returning Your Voted Ballot
Voters may return their completed Vote by Mail ballots by mail, in person at any Vote Center, or at an Official Ballot Drop Box located throughout San Mateo County. Several Ballot Drop Boxes offer drive-up access, allowing voters to return their ballots without leaving their vehicles.

For a complete list of Ballot Drop Box locations, visit smcvote.gov or call or text (650) 312-5222.

Voted Mail Ballot Deadline
To be accepted, Vote by Mail ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and received by the Registration & Elections Division no later than Tuesday, November 10, 2026.

Voters mailing their ballots close to Election Day are encouraged to take them directly to a U.S. Post Office counter and request a hand-postmark from a postal employee. Ballots deposited in a mailbox or dropped off at a USPS location on Election Day may not receive a same-day postmark, potentially affecting whether they can be counted.

Early Voting Period - October 5 to November 2, 2026
Early voting began October 5, 2026, for the November 3, 2026, Statewide General Election. Registered voters may cast their ballots in person at any open Vote Center or return their completed Vote by Mail ballots by mail, at an Official Ballot Drop Box, or at a Vote Center.

For more information about the November 3, 2026, Statewide General Election, call or text (650) 312-5222, visit www.smcacre.gov, or follow San Mateo County Elections on X @smcvote and Instagram @sanmateocountyvote.